Interpreting device



Sept. 25, 1945. LANDE 2,385,452

INTERPRETING DEVICE Filed 001;. 16, 1943 Patented Sept. 25, 1945 UN [TED STATES PAT B NT FBI CE INTERPRETIN G DEVICE Julius M. Lande, New York, N. Y.

Application October 16, 1943., S6rialN0..506,603

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel interpreting device, and has for its principal object the provision of improved means for permitting a soldier or traveller in a foreign land to converse with the natives without the necessity of knowing a single word of .the foreign tongue. Various books have been compiled toenable a person to attempt to translate simple sentences into a foreign langauge, but in most instances the pronounciation is so strange that the native usually has no concept of what the person is talking about.

The particular improvement constituting the present invention resides in the provision of a card .or chart having a plurality of most commonly-used sentences, such as requests for locations, directions, general information, and the like, printed thereon, preferably one sentence occupying one or more lines. on the opposite side of the chart, in thesameor in a related position, there is printed the corresponding sentence in the foreign tongue. In place of the card, a chart or booklet may be provided having a plurality of pages. Thus, the English version may be on one side of the open booklet, and the foreign equivalent on the opposite side. The open booklet may then be folded, and the two versions are then oppositely facing, as they are on the card.

This chart or booklet is enclosed within an envelope or flat sleeve having aligned openin s on opposite sides, the openings being of sufficient size to permit one sentence to be read therethrough. Alternately, the envelope or sleeve may have an opening on only one side thereof and a transparent face on the opposite side, the card being so inserted in the envelope so that the English version is adjacent to the transparent side. This enables the user to view the entire card at a glance and select the sentence or question desired to be communicated .to the native. This transparent face will have some arrow or other reference means, such as .a rectangular frame printed on the transparent material, which is aligned with the opening on the opposite wall of the-envelope.

Once having selected the appropriate sentence, the user will move the card or booklet longitudinally of the envelope until this sentence is opposite the reference mark, at which time the corresponding foreign translation will be enclosed or framed within theopening in the opposite wall of the envelope. The balance of the operation is simple. The user turns the envelope Or sleeve and, seeing the translated sentence, either struggles to read it in the foreign language, or, better still, simply hands the envelope. with this face upwards, to the person he has accosted, who reads the sentence and then makes some appropriate answer.

In instances wherein a simple yes or no answer, a direction .or a gesticulation, will not suffice, a second embodiment of the invention containing answers in the foreign language, the latter in this instance being adjacent to the transparent side of the envelope, is handed to the obliging stranger who scans the sheet, picks out the appropriate answer, moves the chart to a position wherein the answer is opposite the reference line, and then hands the envelope back to the user. Both walls of theenclosing-envelope may-of course, be transparent 7 with appropriate reference marks or frames imprinted thereon.

In this fashion, a conversation may be carried on between two persons .unlearned in the ot-hers language without .a word being spoken, the article serving :as :aisilent interpreter for the parties. A traveler going into a numberof foreign lands may thus be equipped with a .set .of cards or a booklet for each .country, and make better and quicker progress than he would do if he were to try to struggle with a few foreign-words or phrases in eachcountry.

The present invention is particularly useful as an interpreting-device in countries wherein alphabets different from the English alphabet are used,-

since a stranger in Russia, China, etc., who knows none of theforeign language, cannot .even make a partial effort to make himself understood. This invention is equally useful in the .case of a language like Japanese, wherein asentence is written vertically rather than horizontally, since the equivalent English sentence will be horizontally disposed when the sleeve or envelope is upright, and the equivalent Japanese will be vertical when the envelope is horizontal. In cases wherein the booklet isv used rather than the card, the booklet may combine the information contained on a numbe of cards, and thus within the covers of one booklet there will be .suflicient sentences to meet all normal situations.

Whereas the present invention is particularly adapted for use with a single card, it may also embody a number of vertically or otherwise movable cards to enable the user to order materials by weight, quantity, numbers, etc., and will have other uses of a more complex nature than simply asking questions.

.An alternative form of the invention may comprise plurality of disc secured together at their center for relative rotation, the two outer discs being fixed relative to each other, and one or a Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of booklets which are used as the insertable members instead of the cards.

In the embodiment illustrated in 2 and 3, the envelope or sleeve Ill'includes a wall H which may be made from paper or other sub 1 stantially opaque material, and an opposite wall 1 l2 which may be formed from transparent mate rial; The opposed edges of wall I 2 may, be in-' I3, and secured along wardly turned, as shown at the opposite side of wall I I Wall I2 may have one or a" plurality of generally rectangular, aligned openings 13 therein, and aligned with these openings the transparent wall l2 may have arrows I l servingasreference marks, or there may simply be one or a plurality of aligned frames printed onthe transparent wall which is aligned with the opening 13 in the opposite wall. Any other suitable reference means maybe'employed, or, as,

was earlir pointed out, both walls may; be made from opaque material likean ordinary, envelope,

or they could both be made of transparent mate rial V In Fig. 4, the provision of a bookletfrather than the single .card is illustrated. This booklet may have a plurality of pages 2|] with the English version printed 'on oneside of the fold'line'2l, and. the foreign version on the opposite side. When the appropriatepage is selected, the booklet is'folded along the fold line, and thebooklet inserted within the sleeve, as previously described. Accordingly, two booklets may be 'employed 'instead of two cards of the type illustrated in Figs. 1 and}, and the pages folded along the fold line 2| to positionthe desired indicia'outermost. The

booklets are then used exactly'the sameas the cards areu d .Cards l6 and ll. are inserted in side-by-side relationship in pocket, I 8 formed between walls TI and I2, Aplurality of sentences are inscribed,

as by printing, on cards. [6 and H, the first por tionflof, each sentence being printed .on card 16,

and the latter part of the sentence being printed on card 11, and, accordingly,-wh en a portionof the sentence on, cardv IB- is appropriately aligned with a desired portion of thesentence on card. I1,

60 be appreciated that the number and variety of a complete sentence is brought together. It will such sentences are numerou'sand the sentences illustrated in the drawingaresuch as to enable a traveler in a foreign land'tosecure intelligent assistance from the natives of such land;

If, for instance, the traveler desires to have a cab-driver drive him to the police post, he may alignthe words Let me..,01T,a t, as indicatedlat.

22 on card,-|6,.with reference mark 14, and then align the words, The police post/3 indicated at 23 opposite the other reference mark. [4. The

upper edges 24 and 25 of cards I6 and II, when,

tions 22 and 23 of the sentence, Let me off at the police post, are positioned upside down on the opposite sides of cards It and I1. These sentence portions, which are indicated at 21 and 28 on such opposite sides, are thus brought right side up when the envelope or sleeve I0 is reversed, and since wall II is opaque, only this One sentence is exposed to the native of the foreign land, the slot 13 being of sufficient depth to permit only one sentence to be observed. 1

It will be seen from the foregoing that the user of the card may observe all of the English sencomplete'sentence opposite reference marks l4.

Also; bythe expedient of printing the foreign equivalent of the English sentence in upside-down relation to the latter, the same sequence of the two portions of the sentence in the foreign language is preserved. Y

While I have shown herein and described two formsor embodiments of my invention for illustrative'purposes, and have disclosed and discussed in detail the construction and arrangement incidental to two specific applications thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific embodiments shown herein, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated forms or embodiments of the invention may be made, without departing from the principles thereof.

What I claimis:

1. An interpreting device of the character describedcomprising a plurality of elongated slides, each provided on one side thereof with a plurality of 'phrases in one language, and provided on the oppositeside with phrases in a second language and constituting a translation of the phrases in 40 the first language, each phrase and the translaviewed, as in Fig. 2, areindicated in downward 4 position, when viewed as in Fig. 1. It will be noted that the corresponding foreign equivalent of portion thereof in the second language being in the same relative position on opposite sides of the slide, the phrases on one of such slides being complemental to the phrases on the other slide in order that when the slidesare appropriately aligned at the discretion of the user, two of such phrases will form a'complete sentence in a single line, and supporting means for such slides wherebythe slides are mounted in side-by-side relationship for relativesliding movement, the supporting means having at least one window therein ofsuificient depth to permit only one sentence to beseen therethrough, the opposite side of the supporting means being provided with a reference mark to permit the phrases on the several slides to be aligned with such reference mark, wherein the second language equivalent of the phrase will be positioned relative to the opening in the opposite side of the supporting means.

scribedcomprising a plurality of elongated cards,

and an envelope formed with open-ended pockets receiving such cards in side-by-side relationship and permitting relative independent movement of each of thecards, each of such cards being provided on one side thereof with a plurality of word in dicia in one language, and provided on the opposite side with word indicia in a second language and constituting a translation of the indicia in the first language, the indicium in the first language, and the translation thereof in the second languageon the opposite side of the card, being in the same relative position, the latter indicium being, however, turned upside down relativeto the first indicium, the indicia on one of such cards being complemental to the indicia on the other card in order that when the cards are appropriately aligned at the discretion of the user, two of such indicia will form an integrated word message in a single line, the envelope having at least one window in one wall thereof, such window being of sufficient depth to permit only one line of said word message to be seen therethrough, the opposite wall of the envelope having an opening of sufficient size to permit a plurality of word messages to be seen and including a reference mark to permit the indicia on the several cards to be aligned with such reference mark, wherein the second language equivalent of the indicia will be positioned relative to the window in the opposite wall and will appear in the same sequence as they appeared in the first language.

3. An interpreting device of the character described comprising a plurality of elongated booklets, and an envelope formed with open-ended pockets receiving such booklets in side-by-side relationship and permitting relative independent movement of each of the booklets, each of such booklets being provided on one face thereof with a plurality of word indicia in one language, and

dicia on the other booklet in order that when the booklets are appropriately aligned at the discretion of the user, two of such indicia will form an integrated word message in a single line, the envelope having at least one window in one wall thereof, the opposite Wall of the envelope having an opening of sufiicient size to permit a plurality of indicia to be seen therethrough and including a reference mark thereon to permit the indicia on the several cards to be aligned with such reference mark, wherein the second language equivalent of the indicia will be positioned relative to the window in the opposite wall, the indicia on opposite faces of the booklet being oppositely facing in order that the component parts of each message will be in the same sequence on each face.

JULIUS M. LANDE. 

